Just in Case the World Doesn’t End: 5 Savings Tips from Today’s Doomsday Preppers

According to modern interpretations of the Mayan calendar, today marks the end of days — Doomsday, as some (although not the Mayans themselves) believe. However, a special subculture known as doomsday preppers are always getting ready for the end of the world, whether it’s related to the Mayan Calendar or not. And for those of us who believe life will go on after December 22, 2012, they have plenty to teach us about avoiding a financial apocalypse.

We won’t weigh in on anyone’s end of the world predictions, but we have wrangled up some tips on saving money for doomsday 2012 and beyond from Bernie Carr, author of The Prepper’s Pocket Guide and Julie Languille, author of Prepper’s Pantry and Meals in a Jar, due out February 2013… if we’re still around.

5 Ways to Save Money Like a Doomsday Prepper

1. Small Stockpiles Mean Savings

Carr is a big fan of small stockpiles, either for getting ready for Doomsday 2012 or just saving money in general. “Having a small stockpile of supplies actually saves you money in the long run,” she says. Purchase nonperishable items that your family will always need while they’re on sale for big savings.

It’s always cheaper to buy in bulk. While the 1990s club store craze is behind us, you can still get great deals at wholesale clubs. Not interested in joining a club? Lots of doomsday preppers aren’t, but you can still get the same discounts by going to a restaurant supply store. “Buying in bulk allows the average person to leverage economies of scale,” says Languille.

3. Maximize Your Savings

Whether you’re buying in bulk or buying things on sale, you should try and combine as many different kinds of savings as possible. Wait for something to go on sale, use a coupon and even wait for double coupon day if you can. This was something that both of our doomsday prepper experts agreed on.

4. Store It For Doomsday

Canning, dehydrating and vacuum sealing are all ways that you can make your food and other non-durable goods last for a much longer time. “Proper storage techniques can extend the life of food for years, which prevents waste and saves money,” says Languille. The investment that you make up front on canning and freeze-drying equipment will quickly pay for itself. Plus you’ll always have jerky lying around.

5. Plan Ahead

“Preppers are, by nature, planners,” says Languille. This allows them to save money year round. They know when things are in season and when they are going on sale. This allows them to purchase just about everything they need at the maximum possible discount. “With great planning, you can purchase food and other items in-season and on sale at great personal savings,” she says. Before you go shopping, think about what season it is, what will be on sale at a discount and what you can put off buying until it is.

End of the World Predictions and Saving Money

Okay, so the world probably isn’t going to end today or any other time soon, for that matter. But if you pretend that it is, you can save your family a lot of money over the long-term. This allows you to make the end of your working world come sooner rather than later. That’s a doomsday we can all get behind.